Bottle carrier



i! ,1946. J.- ,J. DRUHOT 2,494,525

BOTTLE CARRIER Filed Nov. 3, 1944 Patented Jul 23,1946

BOTTLE CARRIER Joseph J. Druhot, Fort Wayne, Ind.

Application November 3, 1944, Serial No. 561,649

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in bottle carriers adapted for use by customers in carrying away bottled goods in small lots and subsequently returning the empty containers for exchange upon making a new purchase.

Ordinarily, carriers for the same purpose are made of flimsy material and are short-lived, necessitating frequent replacements, and generally are so constructed as to require handling of the bottles separately in filling the carrier as well as their removal therefrom.

One object of the invention is to provide a durable carrier that may be used many times without appreciable deterioration.

Another object of the invention is to construct a carrier by which a group of bottles is grasped, automatically secured'in the carrier and removed from a case in which theywere uniformly arranged, and subsequently transported and deposited into an empty case in similar arrangement without handling the bottles separately.

And a further object of the invention is to provide a bottle securing means for the carrier that operates automatically and holds a group of bottles in orderly arrangement and which readily releases the bottles from the carrier upon manipulation, as with the thumb and finger of one hand by the operator.

And a still further object of the invention is to construct a bottle carrier with but few parts so arranged and assembled that the movable parts are held secured together and in connection with the frame of the carrier without resort to auxiliary fasteners.

Other objects and advantages of the invention appear in the following description.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a structure in which the invention is incorporated, a portion being in section;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1, a portion being cut away on the line 2--2 thereof; and

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross sectional view of Fig. 2 on the line 33 thereof.

The illustrative embodiment of the invention consists of a hanger frame shaped to include a base-bar 4 provided with an upwardly extending handle 5 and a series of similar oblong bottleneck encircling members 6, I and 8. The handle and said members are preferably integral with the base-bar and formed of a single casting. The bottle-neck encircling members are open through their tops and bottoms and are spaced suitably apart from each other, and each is adapted to receive the neck of a pair of bottles, the arrangement being such that each bottle positioned in the hanger frame will be held equally spaced apart from the adjacent bottles. 4

An open recess 9 is made in the upper portions of the encircling members that extends longitudinally parallel with the base-bar 4 and equilaterally therefrom a suitable distance, for recep tion of a pair of lock-bars. [0, one on each side of the handle. Each bar has a pair of lugs II that project laterally from its inner edge and extend loosely into corresponding openings i2, made in the handle, at its junctures with the base-banso as to permit upward hinged .movement of the lock-bars relative to the hanger frame j'I'heJ outer marginal side portions of each bar has made therein a series of adjacent indentations l3 that are curved oppositely with respectto the adjacent curved end walls of the corresponding encircling members so there are formed a series of bottle-neck receiving openings l5 through which the upper ends of a corresponding series of bottle-necks project when in place. Each bar is shaped to have along its outer lateral edge a pair of finger-holds l6, preferably. located respectively above the spaces between adjacent encircling members, to afford convenience in tilting the bars upwardly by applying manual pressure against the bottom face of one or the other of the finger-holds.

The lock-bars ID are normally held within the recess 9 by means of a spring fixture I 1 preferably formed of a single piece of wire shaped to have two divergent contracting coils l8. The midportion of the fixture extends astride the lower edge of the base-bar within the middle encircling member I, and its terminal ends are hooked in connection with the respective lock-bars, thus serving to hold the hanger frame and lock-bar assemblage together and permit opening movement of the lock-bars selectively.

In using the invention the carrier, while held pendently by its handle. is lowered over an assemblage group of bottles, whereupon the top of the bottles protrude into the encircling members and contact with the lock-bars causing them to move hingedly upward as the hanger frame is lowered thus permitting the tops of the bottles to protrude beyond the tops of the members. Subsequently, upon elevating the carrier, the necks of the bottles become clamped between the adjacent lock-bars and the opposing end walls of 'the encircling members and are then bodilyliftedtogether with the carrier and transported.

the bottle from the hanger frame is prevented 7 until thelock-bar with which it is engaged swung upward to permit its release.

An advantage of the invention is that the carrier is easily operated with the use of but one hand, or, two carriers may be operated at the same time using both hand independently of! each other. operation of the lock-bars in loading the carrier, and the location of the finger-holds on the lock-bars in proximity to the handle within con venient reach of the thumb and finger of the hand by which the carrier is held while unload- 'Variations. from the particular construction above disclosed may be resorted to by the exercise of skill in the art, without departure from therscope of the invention, and the following claims are intended to be inclusive of such variations.

What I claim is: V

1. In a bottle carrier, a hanger frame shaped to include a base-bar, a series of similar oblong bottle neck. encircling members supported by the base-barand. handle in connection with the frame, said frame having inits top a recess extending longitudinally parallel with the basebar: and equilaterally therefrom, 1ock-bars"dis- Thisis afforded by the automatic lock-bars, and a spring fixture having divergent contracting coils disposed astride of the base-bar and connected respectively with said lock-bars, thus to secure the lock-bars in connection with the frame and hold them normally in bottle-neck engaging position. i

2. A bottle carrier consisting of a hanger frame having a base-bar provided with an upstanding handle and a series of bottle-neck encircling members transversely disposed in connection with the base-bar; a pair of lock-bars disposed one on each side of the handle, each having lugs projecting laterally from its inner edge loosely into corresponding openings in said frame to secure said lock-bars for upward hinged movement, the outer lateral edges of said lock-bars having indentations for reception of bottle-neck respectively when disposed in said members, each lock-bar having a finger-hold disposed so as to be engageable by the thumb or a finger of the operators hand while grasping the handle wherefore to operate said lock-bars. selectively, and a 7 spring fixture engaged with, said base-bar around the lower edge thereof provided withdivergent retracting coils connected respectively with aid lock-bars to secure the frame-and lock-bar assemblage together and to yieldingly hold the lock-bars in bottle-neck engaging. position was to permit selective operation thereof.

JOSEPH J. DRUHQT. V 

